February is Black History Month!
We’ve joined forces with our homie and local artist, Jaleel Campbell to put together a full month of imagery to honor some of our favorite movers and shakers! Each day in February we will be paying homage to a different inspirational figure by alluding to one of their iconic portraits. Please join us on this journey as we commemorate the struggles of adversity that our black role models experienced and celebrate their victories and the impact that they have left in their wake.
To kick the month off, we present Jaleel Campbell and his portrayal of Soul II Soul’s Jazzie-B:
“I have been obsessed with Jazzie B’s style since I was a child. His effortless cool persona, consisting of alternative fits that complement his public image has stuck with me and plays a role in the way I present myself to the world now. For Black History Month, I wanted to pay homage to Jazzie-B. Soul II Soul’s music is like no other. Some of my favorite tracks include Keep on Movin’, People, Love Enuff, and Free Again. I feel free listening to their music. No worries, just me and the sound of this dynamic group killing it. In honor of that feeling, I celebrate you Jazzie-B!” -Jaleel Campbell
Jazzie B, the frontman of the band Soul II Soul, was born on January 26, 1963, in London, England. Soul II Soul instigated a renaissance of British soul and dance music in the late 1980s. They gave black British music a voice and put sound systems and sound system culture into the spotlight. Soundsystems were custom-built set-ups of generators, turntables, and huge speakers that were used to play music at street parties and open-air dances. Embracing the doctrine “A happy face, a thumping’ bass, for a loving’ race”, Soul II Soul brought street sounds and underground styles to mainstream music. This led the way for styles such as jungle, dubstep, and grime to develop and flourish.
(source image from the Soul II Soul: Club Classics Vol. One photoshoot- photographed by Jamie Morgan in 1989)